Kansas state senators earn $84.80 for service and $99 for expenses each day that they work. They receive an additional $6,775 to cover expenses incurred between sessions, and they receive reimbursement for mileage. Senators that attend legislative business authorized by the Legislative Coordinating Council between sessions receive compensation, subsistence and mileage (assuming 12 days of meetings). Certain members of the Senate receive additional compensation. The President of the Senate receives an additional $13,428 each year. The Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate each receive an additional $12,114. The Vice President of the Senate and the Assistant Majority and Minority Leaders each receive an additional $6,854. The chairpersons of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means each receive an additional $10,799. [3]

Sessions

Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution establishes when the Kansas State Legislature, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 8 of Article 2 states that the Legislature is to convene on the second Monday of January of each year. Section 8 also limits the length of regular sessions in even-numbered years to ninety calendar days, but it allows these sessions to be extended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of both houses. In 2010, this kind of extension occurred, moving the session's adjournment date from March 30th to May 28th.

2012

In 2012, the Senate was scheduled to be in session from January 9 through May 14. However, due to infighting among Republicans, the session had to be extended through the 20th. Major issues which remained unresolved included education funding, state employee pension reform, redistricting and the budget. Gov. Sam Brownback (R) stated, “I think it’s reasonable for people to say they should have gotten things done in 90 days. My hope is that they wrap it up here pretty soon.”[4]

Elections

2012

Elections for the office of Kansas State Senate were held in Kansas on November 6, 2012. A total of 40 seats were up for election. State senators serve four-year terms and all senate seats are up for re-election every four years. The signature filing deadline was June 11, 2012. The date was originally set for June 1, but a delay in the redistricting process caused the state to push back the filing deadline.[6].

2010

There were no elections held for the offices of Kansas State Senate in 2010.

Qualifications

Section 4 of Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution states, "During the time that any person is a candidate for nomination or election to the legislature and during the term of each legislator, such candidate or legislator shall be and remain a qualified elector who resides in his or her district."

Vacancies

The political party committee that last held the vacant seat must call for a convention within 21 days of the vacancy. The convention is designed to select the Governor's appointee and involves all the committeemen and committeewomen that represent the vacant Senate district[7].

The committeemen and committeewomen present for voting must approve a replacement on a simple majority vote. Once the vote has been conducted, the party committee must send the paperwork certifying the selection to the Governor within 24 hours or the next business day. The Governor has seven days after receiving the paperwork to act on the appointment[8].

Redistricting

The Kansas Legislature handles redistricting. Both chambers have a Reapportionment Committee that presenst plans to the chamber at large. Gubernatorial veto is not present, but all plans must be reviewed by the Kansas Supreme Court. Kansas uses adjusted census figures to account for non-residents in school or the military.

2010 census

Kansas received its local census data on March 3, 2012. The state grew by 6.1 percent to over 2.58 million, with growth concentrated in the northeast corner of the state and the remainder largely showing slight declines. (The adjusted total was about 14,000 less than the federal figure.) Wichita grew by 11.1 percent, Overland Park grew by 16.3 percent, Kansas City decreased by 0.7 percent, Topeka grew by 4.2 percent, and Olathe grew by 35.4 percent.[11]

The Legislature attempted redistricting in its 2012 session. Against custom, which had the chambers passing their own maps, the Senate passed revisions to a new House map, and the House passed a map for the Senate; neither chamber was amenable to the other's actions. On May 20, the Legislature adjourned amid deadlock, meaning the courts would have to decide the new boundaries.

Senators

Salaries

As of 2012, members of the Kansas legislature are paid $88.50/day. Additionally, legislators receive $118/day per diem tied to the federal rate.[12]

The $88.50/day that Kansas legislators are paid as of 2011 is an increase over the $88.40 they were paid during legislative sessions in 2007. Per diem has increased from $99/day in 2007 to $118/day in 2011.[13]

Pension

As of 2011, when pensions are calculated for Kansas legislators, their normal annual salary is inflated by nearly $78,000. This is composed of $32,982, which comes from multiplying their daily salary by 372 (the number of days they would work if in session every day and if every month had 31 days), $45,756 from adding in their daily per diem (also based on 372 days), and $7,083 from expense payments. According to Sen. Steve Morris, this is intended as compensation because of low legislative salaries which are seen as difficult to raise.[14]